Kia Motor Corporation, headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 3.3 million vehicles in 2015. The company was founded in December 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry, a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycle parts, eventually producing Korea's first domestic bicycle, the Samchully, in 1951.

Beginning in 2006 Kia identified design as its "core future growth engine" – leading to the 2006 hiring of Peter Schreyer and to the 2005 hiring Tom Kearns as Chief Design Officer. Schreyer has since been central to a complete restyling of Kia's lineup, overseeing design activities at Kia's design centers in Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and the Namyang Design Center in South Korea.

With the Kee concept vehicle, shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, Kia introduced a new corporate grille to create a recognizable 'face' for the brand. Known as the Tiger Nose, Schreyer indicated he wanted "a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression.

A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Kia has since featured the Tiger Nose on all of their vehicles, ranging from the compact Picanto and Rio, on to the edgy new design of the Cerato, Optima and Sportage and to the larger Sorento SUV. Kia cars have won the International Car of the Year award every year since 2013.

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Motor Trader is the best way to buy and sell new, used, and recond cars in Malaysia with
a piece of mind thanks to Motor Trader Inspection. Reach more than a million
car buyers on Malaysia's trusted automotive
website.